The Flame that Died
by x-menobsessed26
Summary: John finds out about the fates of his old team and the one he loved. Post-X2. One-shot.


**This story starts after John had abandoned the X-men. He doesn't know yet whether anyone survived. This is during/post X2.**

John didn't know what to think as he sat in the immense dark of his bedroom in a house that had long ago been abandoned. He flicked open his Zippo lighter and lit a flame, causing the darkness to spread into shadows. He wasn't sure of anything. Why he was here, how much the X-men hated him, if they had even gotten out alive.

The flame danced around in his hands, making the shadows do the same. John couldn't believe what he had done, who he had become. He had joined Magneto, something which would have seemed absolutely insane to him if someone were to ask him a few days prior.

John hated to say it, but he missed them all, no matter how crazy they had seemed or how much they nagged him. Bobby had been his best friend, and Marie hadn't been too bad. She was just easy to tease. It wasn't them that he missed the most, though he would never admit it outloud. No, that would make the impossible real.

Just then, his door opened and Mystique stepped inside, looking an odd mix of grim and happy, "I need to talk to you."

John looked away, "What about?"

"The team you abandoned."

Though his mind was suddenly interested, he said, "So?"

"So, I just thought you would want to know which one was killed," Mystique shrugged and opened the door.

"Wait!" John shouted, bolting up in his bed and staring at her. "Someone died?"

Mystique's face turned fully grim, deciding that John wasn't here because he wanted to see people die. She wasn't really a bad person. Mystique is just passionate about needing to be accepted, something which Magneto gave her without her having to shift into another form. Ever since he had arrived, he had seen Mystique's arrogant side, but sensed there was always something underneath. Mystique was a softy at heart.

"Yes. It was self-sacrifice. From what we've gathered from hacking the Institute's database is the situation as follows. The dam started leaking and was going to break in not too long. Logan led the X-men out to where he knew a helicopter was, the one we stole, but it wasn't there. Just as he was about to give up all hope, Rogue and Bobby appeared with Rogue piloting the Blackbird. Unfortunately, due to her lack of training, her landing was messy. One of the wings got stuck in the mud and due to an earlier explosion, the two vertical thrusters needed to get them out were gone.

"It was pretty clear that everyone in the Blackbird was going to die so she made the ultimate sacrifice. Jean Grey left the plane on a bum leg and lifted the jet out of the mud while the raging water came at her. Then she used a truly remarkable display of power in order to part the water around herself and the Blackbird. From then on, it's all a mystery as to what could have been done to save her. There was a teleporter with them, as we all know, but she was stopping him from saving her. She also didn't lift herself out of the water so they could grab on. Their best guess is she didn't want to live anymore," Mystique concluded.

John's heart felt both non-existant and like it as made of heavy metal. His mouth and throat when dry as sandpaper, and his breathing became erratic, "Jean's dead? Just...like that?"

Mystique turned and walked to the door, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Then she walked out, leaving John alone with his raging emotions.

Jean was gone. No, that couldn't be right. They might just be saying this to get them on their side, right?

In his soul, he knew it was right. Jean Grey was dead. He would never see her again.

He would never see her face lit by the flame she was helping him control. He would never see her green eyes filled with the look of pure passion and love she got when she was teaching, going through her duties as a doctor, or giving a speech. He would never get the chance to fight by her side and protect her from harm.

Who was he ever kidding with that fantasy? She had Scott _and_ Logan wrapped around her fingers, though she didn't enjoy it. She never knew she had also had half the male student population at her beck and call, John included.

Tears ran down Pyro's face at the knowledge he wouldn't even be able to go to her memorial service, because the school was sure to hold one. Even if the school would allow him to attend, Magneto wouldn't. Now that Magneto had him, he certainly wasn't going to give John up that easily.

John knew in that moment the flame inside of himself that was John had died when Jean had. All that was left now was Pyro.

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